In telecommunications, call management is the process of designing and implementing rules and parameters governing the routing of inbound telephone calls through a network. These rules can specify how calls are distributed according to the time and/or date of the call as well as the location of the caller (usually defined by an outbound caller identification). Call management can also involve the use of calling features such as call queues, interactive voice response menus, line hunting, and recorded announcements to provide a customized experience for the caller and can maximize the efficiency of inbound call handling.
Call management can be performed on varying degrees, from an individual screening unwanted calls from a residential landline to an international call carrier routing calls to different worldwide locations by percentage. Systems for governing call management can be in the form of hardware, such as a private branch exchange (PBX) telephone system attached to an integrated services digital network (ISDN) or a hosted software-based system. The automatic call distributor can also provide other information to the called party.
The above-described background relating to a call routing is merely intended to provide a contextual overview of some current issues, and is not intended to be exhaustive. Other contextual information may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.